In the study, which was originally published in BMJ in 2014, researchers looked at what happened to the atoms in 10kg of fat as they were “lost”.

About eight of those kilograms were exhaled as carbon dioxide through the lungs – and the rest became water, which can be excreted in your pee, poo, sweat, breath, tears and other bodily fluids, according to the research.

It’s easy to read this and think that you’re breathing out chunks of fat when you lose weight, but that’s not how this works, says registered dietitian Sonya Angelone, a spokeswoman for the US Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Instead, you’re actually breathing out fat metabolic byproducts as carbon dioxide – not fat cells themselves.

Here’s where it gets tricky: When you lose weight, your body actually tries to regain that weight to get back to the status quo. So you might experience decreases in how full you feel and increases in how hungry you feel, says Dr Stanford.

Luckily, exercise can help prevent those fat cells from getting bigger again, which explains why working out helps keep weight regain in check, Dr Stanford says.

So, when you lose weight, keep in mind that it’s really best to do it slowly in order to allow your body to get used to the new normal. Otherwise, it might go into self-sabotage mode. And those fat cells haven’t really gone anywhere – they’ve just lost weight… just like you.

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The information on Health24 is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are experiencing symptoms or need health advice, please consult a healthcare professional. See additional information.